Battery systems are utilized in a wide range of electronics applications, including computers, mobile devices, media players, personal digital assistants, power tools, navigational and communications equipment, and power storage and management systems for automotive, rail, shipping and industry use. Depending on application, these systems are traditionally configured around a cellular anode and cathode battery structure, for example in a cylindrical rod-and-tube type dry cell or flat plate flooded cell design. More advanced battery systems may utilize a “Jelly roll” or “Swiss roll” configuration, in which the anode and cathode layers are provided on opposite sides of a flat sheet or flexible substrate, which can be rolled up folded inside a battery pouch or enclosure.
Battery system design is driven by a number of competing factors, including size, weight, energy capacity, storage density, cost, safety, reliability, durability, and ease of manufacture. In rechargeable battery systems, thermal loading, recharge rate and other cycling considerations may also be important concerns, particularly as they relate to service life and suitability for particular electronics applications. These design and engineering factors may also be weighted differently based on intended usage, for example as directed to larger scale battery systems for transportation and industrial power systems, as compared to smaller scale batteries for computers and consumer electronic devices.
As a result, there is a continual need for improved battery system designs, with increased service life and performance over a wide range of different operational configurations and demands. In particular, there is a need for improved thin film, laminar, and encapsulated battery technologies, with increased energy capacity and storage density suited to the ever-increasing service requirements of modern electronics and power system environments.